The present invention relates generally to accessories for grills, and more particularly to a lid positioning device for a conventional gas grill of the type having a lid hingedly connected to a firebox.
Outdoor grills of a type having a firebox and a lid connected to the firebox by a hinge mechanism are well known, and are typically limited to adjustment between a fully closed position wherein the lid is in opposing engagement with the firebox to provide an enclosed cooking space and a fully opened position wherein the lid is completely removed from above the firebox to provide an unrestricted xe2x80x9copen airxe2x80x9d cooking area. When the lid is fully closed, the grill has a tendency to retain heat within the cooking space, thereby causing the interior temperature to quickly rise to 281xc2x0 C. or more. This rapid increase in temperature can cause meat and other food products on the grill rack(s) to cook too quickly and burn or dry out. Conversely, if the lid is fully opened during grilling, the heat surrounding the food may be inadequate for imparting the desired charcoal flavoring and appetizing appearance to the food, and the food must be cooked much longer just to achieve a safe internal food temperature for killing bacteria.
Therefore, it has been recognized that the ability to position the lid at one or more intermediate positions within the range of pivotal motion afforded by the hinge mechanism would provide improved control over the grill""s cooking temperature. Accordingly, prior art devices have been disclosed for the purpose of supporting a grill lid at one or more intermediate tilt positions between the fully closed position and fully opened position of the lid relative to an associated firebox. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,130 to Staschke teaches a lid positioner comprising a hooked member for mounting on a front wall of the firebox, and an elongated support member pivotally connected to the hooked member and including a plurality of bearing ridges spaced along its length and arranged to face a front wall of the lid, whereby the bottom edge of the front wall of the lid can be rested on a selected bearing ridge. The lid positioner further includes a handle extending from an upper end of the support member. The device of Staschke is not retrofittable to grills having a lengthy front bar handle fixed to the front wall of the lid because the bar handle interferes with the arcuate pivotal motion of the support member and handle extension. Another drawback of the device of Staschke is that the support member pivots outwardly from the wall of the firebox to which it is mounted and is intended to suspend vertically from its pivot connection under gravity when not in use. However, if a platform is mounted adjacent the same wall to which the device is mounted, the support member will come to rest on the platform when not in use, thereby wasting valuable space intended for food containers, cooking utensils, and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,299 to Henry describes a grill prop having a lower support piece that is hooked onto the front wall of the firebox and an upper prop piece that extends vertically and slidably through a pair of aligned holes in the low er support piece. A thumbscrew is arranged to extend through the lower support piece to releasably engage the upper prop piece for height adjustment. The edge of the grill lid front wall rests on an inwardly bent upper portion of the prop piece. The grill prop device of Henry is not suited for sidewall mounting because of stability problems.
Another device for positioning a grill lid is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,232 to Corcoran. The device of Corcoran clamps to a sidewall of the grill firebox and includes an upwardly open ridge or hollow for receiving the sidewall of the lid to maintain the lid at a particular tilt angle. Adjustment of the tilt angle can be made by changing the location of the device along the firebox sidewall relative to the hinge axis of the grill lid. The device of Corcoran must be removed to allow complete closure of the grill lid, a step that is bound to become an annoyance after each cooking session. Moreover, removal of the device during cooking is problematic due to heat buildup in the device.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lid positioning device for a grill that mounts to corresponding sidewalls of the grill lid and firebox so as not to interfere with the front of the grill and cooking access.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a lid positioning device for a grill that adjusts in a plane proximate and substantially parallel to corresponding sidewalls of the grill lid and firebox so as not to interfere with use of a side table of the grill.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lid positioning device for a grill that is easily adjustable to a non-use storage position wherein the lid positioning device does not interfere with normal opening and closure of the grill but is readily available if needed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lid positioning device for a grill that is easily retrofittable to the grill and simple to operate.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a lid positioning device for a grill that is simple in construction and employs commercially available xe2x80x9coff the shelfxe2x80x9d parts where possible.
In furtherance of these and other objects, a grill lid positioning device of the present invention generally comprises an upper mount for attachment to a sidewall of the grill lid, a lower mount for attachment to a corresponding sidewall of the grill firebox, and an elongated support member adjustably connected to the upper and lower mounts for movement in a plane substantially parallel to the sidewalls. In one embodiment, an end of the support member is pivotally connected to the upper mount, and the support member includes a plurality of angled detent slots spaced along its length for selectively receiving a protrusion of the lower mount. In another embodiment, an end of the support member is pivotally connected to the upper mount, the support member includes a single slot extending nearly the length of support member, and the lower mount includes a threaded stud passing through the slot and mating with a screw clamp for clamping the support member to the lower mount anywhere along the slot as desired.
The upper mount preferably includes a spring clip for holding the support member in a non-use storage position when the support member is disconnected from the lower mount. Also, the support member is preferably provided with a handle for easy adjustment manipulation.
The invention can be embodied as a stand alone device that is retrofittable to an existing grill, or as part of the original grill equipment.